Heel cushion



P. LIOY.

HEEL CUSHION. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1921.

1,403,970, Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Suvewtoz PazzZLZoy 53, (lure m PAUL LIOY, OF PASSAIG' PARK, NEW JERSEY.

HEEL CUSHION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application filed March 15, 1921. Serial No. 452,409.

To all whom it may concern. 7 Be it known that I, PAUL LIoY, a citizenof the United States, and resident of Passaic Park, in the county ofPassaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements. in Heel Cushions, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a heel cushion and ventilator for shoesadapted to be inserted in boots or shoes of ordinary construction andhas for its general object to make walking more comfortable by relievingthe ars and shocks incident thereto.

A further object of the device is to provide a simple cheap andeflicient means for automatically forcing a circulation of air throughthe shoe and about the foot. 7

A still further object of the invention is to obviate the offensiveodors arising from perspiring feet by utilizing the device to force anantiseptic and perfumed powder through the shoe so that only a sweet andpleasant odor may arise therefrom.

And to these ends the invention consists in the novel details ofconstruction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter describedand particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichlike numerals designate like parts in all the views Figure 1 is aperspective view of a heel constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof and Figure 8 is a longitudinalsectional view thereof.

Heretofore heel cushions which have been placed on the market have notbeen very successful due to the fact that they could not be sold for arelatively small sum because of the large number of parts neces sary totheir manufacture and because no .means were provided for forcing airunder the instep of the foot and into the forward or toe portion of theshoe. By the use of a heel cushion constructed in accordance with myinvention the same could be made to sell for a relatively small sumbecause there are only four parts necessary to its manufacture; and bypr riding the heel with a pair of horizontally arranged air circulatingopenings in its forward end, for the ingress and egress of air it isobvious that the instep of the foot as well the toe portion of the shoewill be thoroughly ventilated and that when an antiseptic and perfumedpowder is placed in the heel the same will be forced outwardly throughthe openings and around the foot so as to give off a sweet and pleasantodor.

Referring to the drawings in detail the heel essentially consists of ahollow coinpressible body and comprises an upper or top piece 1, abottom piece 2 and a connectmg strip 3. The upper and lower parts arepreferably formed into the desired shape to conform to the heel portionof the shoe from strips of suitable leather and are held apart by astout coil spring To prevent the spring from creeping or otherwisebecoming displaced the lower part of the coil is secured to the bottompiece 2 by any suitable means such as staples The front ends both theupper and lower parts are tapered to a feathered edge anchconnected by aline of stitching as indicated, or they may be cemented together ifdesired. The edge portion is provided with horizontally arranged aircirculating openings G for the ingress and egress of air so that whenthe heel is in use air may be forceo. around the instep of the foot andto the forward toe portions thereof. These openings are formed byproviding opposed depressions in both and upper and lower parts 1 and 2as shown. The upper and lower parts diverge, toward the heel, and theinclosing strip 3 connecting said parts, tapers toward its ends inconformity to the taperin space between the upper and lower parts of theheel. This strip is preferably formed of soft leather, has bellowsfolds, and is stitched or cemented to the edges of the upper and lowerparts 1 and 2. The top portion 1 is provided with a series of small aircirculating openings 7 arranged adjacent the front end of the heel and asomewhat larger air circulating opening 8 arranged in substantially thecentral portion of the heel. These openings are also provided for theingress and egress of air as the top portion moves up and down. when theheel collapses with weight of the wearer the air confined within theparts 1 and 2 is expelled partly through the openings 6 in the frontedge of the heel and ly through the openings 7 in the top the heel andis forced outwardly the shoe and when the weight is relieved the springl reacts and forces the upper part 1 outward, thereby drawing air intothe shoe and the space formed between the upper and lower parts of theheel. 7

By filling the heel through the opening 8 with a suitable perfumedantiseptic powder. it is obvious that when the heelis in use this powderwill be forced out through the opening 6 to all the parts of theshoewith the result that a sweet pleasant odor will 1 arise therefrom.

My improved heel may be made in variou's sizes and inserted andwithdrawn from a shoe at will so that it may be removed from one shoeand placed in another.

Other modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art,and it will be understood that any changes in the form,

PrOPOrtion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted towithout departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what providing ventilatingopenings, a strip having-bellows folds enclosing the space between theupper and lower parts and secured at its edges to each and a coil springinterposedbetweenzthe upper and lower'parts substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

opposed horizontally arranged depressions V Signed at New York city inthe county 7 of New York andState of New York this 14 day of March A. D.1921. 7

Q g I PAUL LIOY.

